I grew up in Trenton, a west Tennessee town of only 5 thousand people. I have _________ memories of those first eighteen years, and many people in Trenton influenced my life in very _________ ways. My football coach, Walter Kilzer, taught me the _________ of hard work. My history teacher, Fred Culp, taught me that a sense of humor was one of life’s greatest _________.

But my father was my hero. He taught me many things, but at the _________ of the list, he taught me to treat people with love and _________. I remember one particular example of him _________ this “life lesson” as if it were yesterday. Dad owned a furniture store, and I used to _________ the furniture after school to earn my allowance. One afternoon I _________ my Dad talking to all the customers as they came in. At the end of the day, just as Dad was __________, the rubbish collector came in.

I was __________ to go home, and I thought it __________ that Dad wouldn’t spend much time with him, but I was __________. Dad greeted him with a big hug and talked with him for nearly half an hour. I kept looking at the __________, and when the man left, I asked, “Dad, why did you spend so much time with a rubbish collector?” Dad looked at me __________ and said, “Son, I tell you lots of thing __________ if you remember nothing else, remember this: treat every human being just the way that you would __________ to be treated. If you live the Golden Rule, everything in life will __________ work out well and your life will be happy and __________.”

Many years have passed, but my father’s words are still __________ with me.

It’s not easy to achieve success. I deeply believe that it is worth taking time and ______ to prepare for big tasks, especially after my first experience of giving a ______.

I will never forget how difficult it is to give my first speech. It ______ me a whole day to prepare for the topic and write a suitable speech. I searched for information online for a long time so I could ______ that my manuscript (手稿)was perfect. I tried to recite it, but I soon found that it was even ______ than I thought it would be.

Asking for help is a useful way to deal with a hard task. I turned to my teacher, who gave me lots of ______ that were of great help to me.

On the day of my speech, the microphone was broken. I was so ______ that I forgot my speech. ______, the host helped me calm down so that I was able to go on, though I didn’t feel like the speech was very successful.

But I learned a lot from this ______. It showed me that I hadn’t prepared well enough, I hadn’t practiced enough and that my “roots” had not grown deeply enough.______ in the world follows natural rules, like the growth of bamboo-the more time we spend preparing, the deeper our roots grow, and the greater success we will have.

Last year I decided to do some volunteer work. I began to________on the Internet and discovered Volunteer USA. Three months later I________myself on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona. I was________at the thought of living with loads of new people for three months. However, within fifteen minutes of________, my worries had gone. Everyone was so________and like-minded that it was very________to feel at home.

I was sent to the Coronado National Forest for my first 8-day________. We had to________everything we needed and walk three miles to where we worked. It may not seem like a________way but in 35℃ heat and with a heavy pack, my legs were on fire.

My job was to________a stairway out of rock. This________climbing up and down the side of a mountain inhabited (栖息) by mountain lions, although I should say they were only heard,never________.

Three days later, a beautiful stairway came into being. The________of knowing that my________will be on that mountainside for years to come is massive.

But on the last night we were________in a thunderstorm. I woke up at midnight to find a swimming pool in my tent. The temperature was close to________. I had to spend the rest of the night trembling in the only________part of my tent.

________, I suffered a lot. But I know whatever I have to face in my life I was there and I________. I think I am much________for having taken part in the project.